CouchSurfing References
What are References?
References are one of the most important safety features within the CouchSurfing project. They allow you to leave comments about your CouchSurfing experiences on other CouchSurfers' profiles. They exist to help members to communicate to the general CouchSurfing population about the kind of experiences they have had with a host or guest in an honest and respectful way.
When should I leave a Reference, and Why?
We ask that you leave references for members you have hosted or surfed with, or have spent a significant amount of time with. Meeting a member for coffee or talking online might leave you with a good impression, but it doesn't give you enough information to leave an accurate reference.
If you have a positive CouchSurfing encounter, you should consider writing a reference! It’s a way to document your experience, and lend credibility to your CouchSurfing friend! If you had a good experience with a fellow CouchSurfer, let other members know! Other CouchSurfers want to know who is safe, who is trustworthy, what the couch is like or if your host lives in a great location in the city.
What are some elements of a well-written reference?
Ask yourself these questions when leaving a reference for another member:
- Was the information on the profile sufficient and accurate?
- Is that Couch safe? Is the person trustworthy? What happened?
- Did you feel good or bad? Why?
- Would you want to surf with/host again this person?
- Was the person interesting? Talkative? Respectful?
- Did you enjoy particular activities with that surfer/host?
- Have you written about your experience with this member in a respectful way?
When is it appropriate to write a Negative Reference?
Negative References can be written for both emergency and non-emergency CouchSurfing experiences.
In the case of an emergency, the most important thing for you to do is to get yourself out of the situation. You should always travel with a second plan - a hostel, a phone number for a taxi if you have to leave in the middle of the night, or the name and phone number of another CouchSurfer who might be able to help you out in the same city.
We encourage you to file a police report immediately if a crime has been committed. Also, send a message to "contact us" marked "problem with member" as soon as possible to explain the details of your experience. CouchSurfing needs to know if you’ve experienced an emergency situation! For more helpful advice on safety, please visit the Safety Section of the website.
If your experience is non-emergency situation, we strongly encourage CouchSurfers to try to work the problem out amongst themselves via email, phone or in person. Clear, honest and respectful communication is vital. And remember, good communication includes you listening to the other person, too!
Keep in mind cultural differences, but do not let your lines be crossed. Be open-minded and LISTEN to what the other CouchSurfer has to say, but stick to your gut and calmly try to explain how you feel about the situation.
I have left a negative reference for a CouchSurfer. Why is that person still on the site?
CouchSurfing volunteers do not have the capacity to mediate all negative experiences that may happen. We provide a networking opportunity for CouchSurfers to try to set up interesting, safe, fun, and meaningful travel and learning experiences. We care about safety and respect within the CouchSurfing community, and the global community, and we encourage the community to look after itself by leaving references, which allows members to make their own informed decisions about whether they want to stay with or host a member. We wish that we could solve any issues that come up, but without having been there, we have no way or means of determining which member's version of the situation is the truth. Unless a member presents us with a police report, we must rely on the referencing system. This is why documenting your experience with references is so important!
Why can't I leave an anonymous reference?
We do not allow anonymous references because we believe that CouchSurfers should be accountable for their own words. All members have the right to know who has left them a reference. Any references from profiles created solely to leave a reference for another member, for good or bad, will be removed from the profile.
Are references ever removed?
You can edit or fully remove a reference that you have left for another member - just delete the text and save!
Only Member Disputes volunteers have the ability to remove references left by other members. A reference may be removed or required to be changed (marked as inappropriate) only in very special situations, upon the request of a CouchSurfer with approval of the Member Disputes & Safety Team for one or more of the following reasons:
-
The reference includes profanity or offensive, racist, or insulting language (e.g. "He is typical of all Italians/ Americans/ Christians"), or involves name calling ("He's a slimeball!")
-
The reference gives personal details about the member that are irrelevant to the situation being reported (e.g. "She was acting in a strange way because her mother was dying and her boyfriend had just dumped her and she hooked up with her last host")
-
The person leaving the reference has absolutely no interaction with the member (e.g. a reference that should obviously be email content such as "Hi", or "Come to my country")
-
The reference is left on behalf of someone else (e.g. "She stayed with my brother, and she is a liar. Don’t trust her!"), or is a copy of someone else's reference
-
The reference is clearly threatening or accusatory.
-
The reference is about someone else other than the profile it's being left on ("At least you're not an idiot like Sandy"), although we permit comments which are directly relevant to the surfing/hosting experience with the profile the reference is on ("Harry's roommate Sandy kept waking me up")
-
The reference is clearly not factual ("I stayed with them on 12 October, and they threatened me" when we find that the CouchSurf Request was made after the claimed incident)
-
The references indicates that the member should be written to "for details" ("If you want the whole story, please email me" - doing this means that the member is NOT being accountable for their words)
How do I dispute a reference someone left on my profile?
If you have received a reference that you feel is not within our guidelines, please use the Contact Us section and choose "Problem with Member" in order to let us know. The Member Disputes team cannot take sides in an argument, but will remain impartial in maintaining the reference guidelines. We do not guarantee removal of any references or the complete resolution of any issue, because if we were not there, we cannot say what happened. We want to help, but also ask members to understand that we are not always able to involve ourselves in the dispute.
Couchsurfing's Final Word:
We hope that all experiences are great ones! Keep in mind that references are a way to add credibility to members who are actively surfing and hosting as well as to maintain a safe community. Safety is everyone's responsibility, including yours!
| 
